good morning. new details. this morning we're learning more about that daring operation to rescue that 5-year-old boy held host nanlg a bunker for nearly a week, police storming in after a camera revealed the child was in imminent danger. gas prices up 17 cents in just a week. why they won't be coming down any time soon. and what is this? is it a bird, is it a plane? we will reveal a breakthrough device that will literally blow you away "today," tuesday, february 5th, 2013.

>> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savian guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a tuesday morning. i'm savannah guthrie. >> i'm matt lauer and that was incredible news coming out of alabama, the raid that freed that 5-year-old boy. incredible for the parents. >> the little boy, ethan, spent the night in an alabama hospital, where he is said to be in good spirit this is morning. agents entered the bunker using a distractive device, some sort of explosive. when it was all said and done, the boy's captor was dead and the little boy not hurt. we're hearing from senator robert menendez for the first time about claims that he was with prostitutes during overseas trips. coming up, his emotional response to what he says is a false attack. we've got more details this

morning on just what caused the lights to go out during the super bowl. we'll go live to new orleans where some people are saying it happened twice during beyonce's rehearsal. so, were warning signs missed? but we'll begin with dramatic new details in that hostage situation in alabama. gabe gutierrez is in midland city once again this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. law enforcement official tells nbc news that the fbi somehow managed to get a secret camera inside that bunker and that's how they decided to move in. a dramatic end to a six-day standoff. in alabama monday, a federal hostage team stormed an underground bunker, where this man, 65-year-old jimmy lee dykes, was holding a 5-year-old, known only as ethan, captive. >> very special child. he has been through a lot. he has endured a lot. by the grace of god, you know, he's okay.

>> reporter: the two spent 143 hours in the underground shelter, stocked with supplies. law enforcement officials watching closely every minute from the ground and the air, using small, unmanned aircraft. based on sketches from a neighbor who says he was once inside dykes' bunker, we now know the shelter had a hatch and ladder and pvc pipe that, at times was used to communicate with dykes actually ran sideways, 50 yards under ground to his property. authorities were able to get a camera inside the bunker. though they're not saying how. monday they saw dykes holding a gun. believing that ethan was in danger, they decided to breach the bunker. neighbors heard an explosive, which authorities say was a distraction device. when the rescue team entered the

bunker, they found dykes dead and ethan unharmed. it all took seconds. ethan was now in an ambulance, about to be reunited with his family. >> i can tell you that i have been to the hospital. i have visited with ethan. he is doing fine. he is laughing, joking, playing, eating. >> while federal agents high fived each other, the community breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to celebrate eatithan' birthday. he turns 6 tomorrow. >> i would imagine it's going to be the greatest birthday that that family and that little boy has ever experienced and probably will ever experience. i would imagine this little boy will probably get anything he wants for his birthday. >> reporter: we know that dykes didn't trust the government. so far people have not released an official motive in this kidnapping. law enforcement officials tell nbc news that the cause of

dykes' death is still unclear. medical examiner will determine whether an actual gunshot killed him or whether it may have been the flash back. savannah? >> gabe gutierrez in midland city for us. thank you. senator harri smith has been involved in this situation. i know you've been in daily contact with ethan's mother. how is the reunion? >> i spoke to one of the family members last night. they said ethan was doing really well, lots of hugs and kisses going on and that he was just his lovely, sweet little self. so, they were so happy. >> have you learned anything more about the conditions of his confinement, how he was treated over these last six, seven days? >> you know, we were told earlier in the week that mr. dykes actually was being very kind to him, giving him his

favorite foods, asking for coloring books, allowing him to watch cartoons, giving him his favorite snack. but i'm sure, as the sheriff reported, that the conditions went downhill, he endured a lot, that little boy. but the mother told me one thing when we were sitting together over the last several days, that he is a brave little boy and if you just took the time to get to know him that everybody who meets him just loves him. that he's such a likable little boy. brave and she said that he's going to love him. >> well, he is a little boy who obviously has been through a lot. as i understand it -- >> he has. >> -- you actually ran into ethan's mother just at the moment that she was finding out that the rescue had taken place. can you tell us about that? >> lots of smiles. i actually was going over for my afternoon visit and she was being rushed out the door along with her mother, the

grandmother. and you could see she was visibly shaken, nervous, but i could see this little smile. and she gave me a big hug. and grandmother turned around and smiled and said, you know, we love you. and they put them in a vehicle and i later learned they were on their way to the hospital to be reunited with ethan. so i know there's a lot of hugs and kisses. >> indeed, lots to come. especially tomorrow, his birthday. senator harri anne smith, i know you've been a great support to the family. thank you for being with us. >> thank you. >> now here ais matt. >> savannah, thank you. clint van zandt is a former fbi negotiator and profiler. soechl details being kept close to the vest, how they were able to see inside that bunker, how

they got a camera in there, how the suspect actually died. is that the right course of action in something like this? >> i think it is, matt. because the team that did the rescue was also the national team we would call upon in a major terrorist incident. so, we want to keep those things close to the vest. we know bad guys watch television, movies and everything else to get informati information. and the last thing the fbi wants to do is give up their methods, their techniques and have terrorists use your show or somebody else's as a training film to understand how we go after them the next time. >> clint, you have been the guy on the other end of the phone in these hostage negotiations. how do you know when the time has come to take an enormous risk like this, knowing that some action against the suspect could also result in harm to the young boy in this case? >> yeah. there's an ongoing cost benefit analysis that's done, matt. negotiators that have been talking to mr. dykes for the

entire week who are going to provide information, is he up, is he down? has the emotional threat level increased? then you're going to look at the information you have. in this case, the alleged cameras that show him walking around with a gun in a menacing fashion. and finally the tactical team has to say we believe with a high degree of certainty that we can get in and make a successful rescue if we have to. that's the time the on-scene commander says, okay, i believe the threat level is so high to that little boy, we have no choice and we're not going to wait and let him get killed inside and then go. the fbi made a decision to go. right decision, obviously. and that little boy is live today because of that. >> clint, as the guy who is the negotiator at that moment, i would imagine your role changes dramatically. instead of trying to gain the release of that little boy, you are now a distracter in some way. you are trying to keep the suspect calm even though you know the storm is coming.

>> you know the storm is coming. the negotiators and tactical team work very, very closely together. and, matt, you can't skip a beat. you can't give any indication that you know something is going to change because you want to lull the hostage taker into a sense of complacency. where the tactical team can go in, take the person by surprise. by the time he is able to react, they've already dealt with him. >> clint van zandt, always interesting to get your perfect speexpect ive on something like this. thank you very much. >> thanks, matt. natalie morales is over at the news desk. good morning to you. >> good morning, savannah and matt. good morning, everyone. nbc's peter alexander is there with the very latest. good morning. >> natalie, good morning to you. the president will largely focus his attentn on immigration reform and deficit reduction exactly one week ahead of his state of the union address.

president obama is juggling a full plate of proposals on guns and immigration. janet napolitano. >> we are committed to making sure this sector and the entire southwest border remains secure. >> reporter: immigration reform would allow estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the u.s. to earn citizenship. on monday he took his push for tougher gun laws to minneapolis, the city known as murderapolis in the mid '90s. >> weapons of war have no place on our streets or in our schools or threaten iing our law enforcement officers. >> reporter: against the backdrop of those officers, president obama urged supporters to call on congress to act. >> we don't have to agree on everything to agree it's time to do something. >> reporter: while both sides

largely agree with a need for extended background checks, reinstating the assault weapons ban remains the most controversial effort. president obama is ignoring the nation's economic challenges, critics say. >> our economy could use some presidential leadership right now. >> reporter: immigration reform is critical, they say, to helping the nation's economy. those coming here to meet with the president, ceos from companies like yahoo! goldman sachs and coca cola. natalie? >> thank you so much, peter. secretly laying out conditions for carrying out targeted killings of suspected american terrorists that are different than officials have explained publicly. according to a membero obtained by nbc news. it expands the definition of self defense and what qualifies as an imminent threat of violence and says that these cases are lawful killings and not assassinations.

let's head to wall street. cnbc's kayla tausche is at the new york stock exchange. >> speaking of the department of justice, the doj says that standard & poors misled investors. this will be the first federal enforcement agen enforcement action against a credit rating firm. stock market rally has hit the pause button for now. experts say we're still on pace for big gains in 2013. natalie? >> kayla tausche at the new york stock exchange. thank you. after years of listening to david letterman poke fun at his weight on the late show, governor chris christie stopped by the show so he can get in on the jokes.

>> i didn't know this was going to be this long. >> are you on a diet now? >> well, obviously not. >> i guess not, no. >> just blew it. basically the healthiest fat guy you've ever seen in your life. >> after trading barbs with the comedian who mocked him for so long, christie showed that he really is the bigger man. you're up-to-date. let's turn it back over to savannah, matt and al. >> thank you very much. clipper coming through. another one coming through tomorrow as well. you can see light snow making its way through the northeast and new england, really dumping little less than an inch. it's not going to be a problem. out west, though, another system is coming in. that will be bringing in coastal rain and snow in the pacific northwest, up to an inch or more in the rain and mountains. we're looking at four to six, maybe up to nine inches of snow there. and we've got a system we're keeping an eye on that may cause

big problems in the northeast and new england friday into saturday. we'll get your local forecast. first, this message. for my two leading ladies. while managing their schedule with my producing partner. i set up kid's corner so they can learn and play games without deleting my stuff. "working mom" is sometimes a tough role to play, but it's definitely the one i was born for. [ clattering, children laughing ] and...action. that's me. and this is my windows phone. [ male announcer ] now buy one nokia lumia 920 for just $99.99 and get a second one free at at&t. >> good morning. we expect some cloud cover today. it will be mostly dry

>> that's your latest weather. sav savannah? >> al, thanks. new jersey senator robert menendez is speaking out for the first time about an anonymous online report limpinging him to trips involving prostitutes in trips to the dominican republic. he is denying the report. kelly o'donnell has the report on capitol hill. >> reporter: he is reacting to the report based on anonymous sources that was posted online right before his re-election in november. i was among a small group of reporters who spoke to menendez right off the senate floor and i made an audio recording of his responses. >> those smears are exactly that, smears, untrue. >> reporter: asked directly if he had been with a prostitute, senator menendez, chairman of the foreign relations committee.

>> this hearing of the senate foreign relations committee -- >> reporter: denied that story and grew emotional, saying political enemies launch ed a false attack. the smears -- the smear that is right-wing blogs have been pushing since the election and that is totally unsubstantiated. it's amazing to me that anonymous, nameless, faceless individuals on a website can drive that type of story into the mainstream, but that's what they've done successfully. >> reporter: a conservative website published the story before the november election. menendez was with prostitutes, it says, during trips to the dominican republic in 2010. >> the people of new jersey whose lives have been -- >> reporter: menendez, who is divorced, points out that various news outlets have been unable to verify the various story based on anonymous sources. >> now nobody can find them. no one ever met them. no one ever talked to them.

but that's where we're at. so the bottom line is that all of those smears are absolutely false. >> reporter: menendez did travel to the dominican republic with a top donor from florida. a multimedia organization that melvin chaired. last week the fbi was at melvin's west palm beach offices, taking away boxes of material. authorities have not disclosed the focus of the investigation. menendez drew more attention because he just reimbursed melvin last month. more than $58,000 for 2010 travel on melvin's private plane. menendez had not reported those flights under senate rules but says that was simply an oversight. >> when it came to my attention that it had not been paid, i came forth and paid it. and so i can't do anything better than that. had i wished that in those travel schedules that we had that we had a better process to make sure it didn't fall through the crack? yes. but when it came to my

attention, i did the right thing and i paid for it. >> reporter: and the senate ethics committee says it's aware of these reports and is doing what it should in its own process. senator harry reid, the majority leader, says whatever investigation should go forward, but he backs bob menendez. savannah? >> kelly o'donnell on the hill for us. now here's matt. gas prices are rising again this morning, the national average jumping another cent overnight to 3.53 for unleaded regular. also a 17-cent hike in just a week. tom costello takes a look at the reasons why. tom, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. yes, we hear you in california and new york and illinois and vermont. we know you're paying a lot more there, of course. you can blame a lot of things here. for the beginning, refinery shutdowns, a shift over to summer blends and a perception on wall street that the economy is picking up. it is all the talk from coast to coast, those pump prices.

>> i don't even want to like know the amount at the end of the week because i don't want to get depressed. >> i'm going to drive a lot less for now, i know that for sure. >> you're wasting like 60 bucks a week. >> reporter: several refineries are down for maintenance, a supply shortage in california, oil prices are rising. then there are economic factors. >> there's often a run-up in gas prices in february and march as the refineries transition from making the winter grade to the summer grade of gasoline. summer blend is often more expensive and more costly to make and that means more cost at the gas pump. >> reporter: and the price hikes really hit home. average american household spent $2,900 on gas in 2012, just under 4% of their income before taxes. with the exception of 2008, that was the highest in nearly 30 years. while gas prices may move higher in the coming weeks, over the coming months they could go lower. >> looking at the entire year now, i believe that 2013 will

probably finish with lower prices than the entire year of 2012, when we look at the yearly average. for now it's going to be pain at the pump. >> listen to this. the union of concerned scientists says the typical american, by the time they have taken care of their car for the life of their car, they will have spent as much filling that car as they did on the price of the car unless, of course, they got a really fuel efficient car. back to you. >> tom costello down in washington for us. the prices around here are crazy. >> terrible. >> california, other places, they are much higher. then you go across the border to new jersey where you live -- >> not that bad. they fill it up for you. >> great. >> all the attendants are wearing bow ties and come out and run and sing. >> towels and glassware also. >> i don't even have a car, but i've heard. new details this morning on what caused the lights to go out during the super bowl game. why the nfl is saying don't

blame beyonce. the groundbreaking invention that will make your day if you're a germophobe like the guy next to me. first this is "today

still ahead, dozens of brides who paid thousands of dollars to book a dream venue only to have it close. and the super fan who built his own central perk. which would you rather have?

a big treehouse or a small treehouse? if it's big enough, you can have a disco. oh yeah. [ male announcer ] it's not complicated. bigger is better. and at&t has the nation's largest 4g network. ♪ ♪ every little thing has meaning ♪ [ female announcer ] we always make our kraft singles with milk, and no artificial flavors, so you can be sure there's no single thing better for your grilled cheese. ♪ in that time there've been some good days. and some difficult ones. but, through it all, we've persevered, supporting some of the biggest ideas in modern history. so why should our anniversary matter to you?

because for 200 years, we've been helping ideas move from ambition to achievement. and the next great idea could be yours. ♪ >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. it is all about the ravens. they will get a hero's welcome with their parade in baltimore. it will begin at city hall at 10:45 this morning and then will end at m&t bank stadium. officials urge you to get there early because they will start

closing so vote roads at 10:00 this morning. it cannot make the downtown, hey, -- you cannot make the downtown, and a common join us for our live coverage on tv 11. >> we have reports of a crash on the outer loop west side of the beltway approaching security boulevard. pretty typical along the west side. security boulevard and wind up remains shut down for an accident and the cleanup associated with that. harford county, route 24, crashed there blocking the right lane. you can see from our shot here that traffic is calling to get by. it will tape commerce street to pratt street to howard street into the stadium. west side of the beltway is

checking in at 26 m.p.h. tony, over to you. >> the little clip for storm that went through last night is pushing of. no precipitation. we expected to stay that way through the day. 31 degrees in elkton. mixture of clouds and a little bit of sunshine. high temperatures should sneak into the 40's.

smelly cat what are they feeding you ♪ everybody! ♪ smelly cat smelly cat it's not your fault ♪ >> if you miss your "friends" we've got good news for you. now you can have a cup of coffee in an exact replica of central perk by a super fan of that show who even calls himself gunther. we'll tell you how far you'll have to travel to get there in a couple of minutes. meanwhile it's tuesday, february 5th, 2013, 7:30. >> i'm enjoying our little '90s flashback this morning. imagine spending months planning your wedding only to have your venue take your money,

suddenly shut down and leave you out in the cold. it happened to kozs of brides. a rossman reports investigation into the company responsible. then if my smile is a little broader this morning it's because we're going to show you a revolutionary device that could change everything for germ haters like me. we'll tell you what this is and introduce you to the man behind it. >> why the "exorcist" music? are we going to exercise germs? >> i don't know. janet shamlian is down in new orleans with more on the blackout. good morning. >> reporter: superdome officials were concerned about losing power during the super bowl as far back as last october. the electrical feeders that bring power in showed signs of dekay, something that concerned not only the energy company, entergy, but officials at the

superdome. money was paid for repairs and those repairs were made but the system still failed. after the dome went dark during the super bowl it's now fresh meat for the late-night comics. >> the lights went out in the third quarter. it was weird. normally i don't experience a blackout till after the super bowl party. >> you see what happens when beyonce actually sings live? that's what happens. >> someone clapped twice and everything went dark. >> reporter: 34 minutes of near darkness unfolded on 73,000 fans in the stands, a tv audience of 108 million and a camera crew from 60 minutes sports that happened to be in the nerve center, the control room. >> we lost lights. >> reporter: so what did happen? >> it's still a mystery. we're going to get to the bottom of it. >> reporter: doug thornton manages the superdome and says there are two power feeders from the substation that go into the building and the main feeder went out, bringing down the

lights on the west side of the stadium. beyond that, there are admittedly few answers. new orleans power company, entergy tweeting until the investigation is xloet, any statements on possible causes of the outage are just speculation. some pointed fingers at beyonce's high wattage half time which wrapped up not long before the blackout. commentator boomer esiason on a sports radio show. >> beauyonce blew the electric the superdome twice i'm told. >> is that right? >> during her rehearsals. >> reporter: the nfl says not a chance that beyonce's production ran on its own generator. >> i know that's been out there to say that beyonce's half-time show had something to do with it. that is not the case from anything we have at this point. >> reporter: when play resumed, the 49ers seemed to have all the power, scoring 17 consecutive points to put themselves firmly back in the game. but in the end it wasn't enough. >> the blackout had nothing to do with the game. the 49ers just outplayed us

there for a stretch and they played great. and we did not. i was proud that our guys bounced back. >> reporter: mitch landrieu described the outage in an unfortunate moment in what had otherwise been a shining week. as visitors leave here, many more are coming in. they're just not getting a break here because it is now mardi gras. >> janet shamlian in new orleans for us. janet, thank you very much. >> that's when the blackouts really begin. let's get a check of the weather with mr. roker. >> okay, thanks so much, savannah. as we show you what we've got going on as far as february is concerned, we're looking at normal temperatures for much of the northeast. above-normal temperatures through the central mississippi river valley and gulf coast. below normal out west. as far as precipitation is concerned, looking drier than normal through the gulf, also along the central california coast. snowier than usual through the great lakes, back in the plains.

for today, snow showers, clipper coming across the great lakes into new england. we expect some showers and wet weather in the west with a few heavy snow storms moving through the pacific northwest. >> good morning. a clipper storm when through last night. there could be a leftover snow flurries this >> and it happens to be national weather man -- make that weather person day. so hug your national weather person the first chance you get. savannah? >> all right, al.

thanks. now rossen reports on dream weddings that turned into nightmares. planning the big day is hard enough. but what happens when the people you trust take your money and then don't deliver? jeff rossen is here with that story. good morning to you. >> hey, savannah. we all know how stressful it is to plan a wedding but this takes it to an all new level. we're talking about 50 couples across the country who paid to get married at a gorgeous mansion in las vegas but when the company suddenly shut down they were left in the cold. what's worse, the owners were using the business account to pay for luxurious, personal expenses. this is griffin mansion, the sprawling estate nestled in the las vegas desert. gorgeous from the air. >> welcome to griffin mansion. >> even more stunning inside, billed as the destination for your dream wedding. denise and edward, bride and groom to be, were hooked. >> everything was so elegant,

beautiful, exactly what i envisioned for us. >> fairy tale? >> fairy tale wedding. >> they say they paid more than $20,000 for the all-inclusive package from food to flowers to the photographer. it's a family-run business, run by this husband and wife, anthony lopez and portia ladawick. she even appears in the ad. >> our philosophy here is simple, to provide you with the wedding day of your dreams. >> reporter: but just ten days before the big day, a bombshell. >> they called to inform me that they will not be having my wedding in a week. >> your wedding is a week away and they say, we can't do it? >> it was 11 minutes after i made the final payment. >> reporter: the owners offered to move her wedding to a replacement location that she says was a joke. 20 grand gone and she says they refused to give her a refund. in fact, there were 53 couples from 12 different states who lost hundreds of thousands of

dollars. their dream weddings turning into nightmares. >> reporter: in your wildest dreams, did you ever think this would happen to you? >> never. >> it was really heartbreaking. >> reporter: officials say griffin mansion shouldn't have been throwing wedding receptions in the first place, operating without the proper permits for years. and it finally caught up with them. health officials shut them down for violations after guests at one affair got sick from norovirus. the brides say the openers kept that secret. they looked you right in the eye and said everything is great, no problems? give me more money? >> yeah. pay in cash. we'll give you a discount. >> oh, yeah. >> eep after they knew your wedding was never going to happen? >> yep. >> reporter: in fact, more than a month after they were shut down -- >> this is where your guests will sit. >> reporter: griffin mansions was still trying to book new customers. it was all captured on hidden camera. >> cocktail hour can be inside and out. so it's a really nice option for your guests. >> reporter: nbc station in las

vegas went in, posing as a bride and groom. >> and you guys have a liquor license, i'm assuming? >> we do, yep. >> reporter: officials say that's not true. >> they don't have a heart. >> there's a special place in hell for them. >> reporter: what's worse, documents show the husband and wife owners, anthony and portia, were using the business account on lavish expenses, racking up big tabs at victoria's secret, barneys, luiv vuitton, spa treatments, even fertile treatments. >> they're a con couple, kept taking money at an accelerated pace, booking weddings that would never happen. >> reporter: they filed for bankruptcy. anthony lopez and his wife declined our requests for an interview. >> you have nothing to say? nothing to say to the brides and grooms? >> reporter: lopez wouldn't talk. just shruged outside of bankruptcy court. he said they did everything they could for the couples, but denise said it wasn't nearly enough. and they had to scramble to put

together a whole new wedding in just days. >> get robbed of everything. you plan for that special day and you don't get to have that. >> reporter: experts say if you're planning a wedding, there are ways to protect yourself. for one, pay with a credit card, not cash. that way, if something goes wrong, you can dispute it with the credit card company directly. you can also buy wedding insurance, which usually costs between 150 and $500. that may be worth it, considering the average price of a wedding in this country is $27,000. >> jeff, thank you. good advice. coming up next, first look at a breakthrough advice from ge germophobes from one of the world's most successful inventors, after this. or tall. it's not all about who sparkles the most. or who is the best dressed. what nature really cares about is what you have to offer. like the stevia plant. small and humble with a surprising secret to share...

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that's all i need. [ female announcer ] for everything they need to hear this valentine's day, there's a hallmark card. we're back at 7:44 with what could be a germophobe's dream come true. a look at his latest invention. first, the folks at snl may have had a clue about where he was headed. >> i'm the inventor of the dyson vacuum, the first vacuum that doesn't use suction. the toilet, a few thousand prototypes later, i had it. this massive load of pumpkin ravioli and the ravioli were quite dense. it's brilliant, isn't it?

the dyson toilet. >> it's not a toilet but it is something in the bathroom. sir james dyson, welcome back. always good to have you here. >> nice to be here. >> the fact of the matter is your products fall between a product in pop culture. is that the idea? >> i think people are just fascinated by technology, like i am. so we're developing products that use new technology yet a useful product that does something better and they're usually everyday products. >> when you set your mind to something, does form take on more importance than function or do they have to be equally split? >> for me, function is always more important and it should drive how the product looks. the product should express what it does. i don't like those black boxes that none of us know what they do. if you can show the technology through the form in some way. >> let's walk over to what we're discussing this morning. this is called the air blade tap. is that correct?

>> it is. it is. the secret to it is this wonderful motor we've developed. it's three times faster than any other motor. it gives us the power to push air out at 420 miles an hour out of that very narrow slot there. >> i'll get to that in a second. before you do something, you need to solve a problem. guys like me and other people, we're afraid of germs. we don't want to go into the bathroom and touch the sink after we've used the commode. >> or the tap. this is an automatic tap. >> i'll go across here. >> i'll demonstrate it. you put your hands underneath. >> right. >> water appears. wash your hands. the tap stops. you put your hands here. >> oh, i just got that all over me! so this is the air blade? >> the air blade, 420-mile-an-hour air. >> it dries them how fast? >> in 14 seconds. absolutely dry. the clever thing about it, it

scrapes the water off your hands like a windshield wiper. and the area around your nails. when you get a paper towel you don't get between every finger and you don't clean around your nail nails. well, most people don't. >> right. >> but this will do it for you. >> will this have a soap dispenser at some point so you don't have to touch that either? >> that's a very good idea. >> you didn't think about that? the other thing, what about cost? are communities going to be able to afford to put these in public restrooms? >> absolutely. >> turn around so we get a good shot of you there. >> we have mibsed hi ee eed mixc hand drying and one of these equals the cost of 15,000 towels, the cost to run. it's not expensive. very low cost to run. >> you still need the towels

because you have to open the doorknob to get out of the bathroom. >> also it has one-fifth of the carbon footprint from hand driers and paper towels. >> and it has that cool factor as so many of your products do. sir james dyson, thank you very much. now that we can shake hands after you used this. a "friends" fan takes us inside his own central paerk, right after this. yeah, they're the worst. [ caribbean accent ] no worries, mon. every-ting will be alright. [ chuckles ] yeah, mon. come on! don't fret, me brotha. sticky bun come soon. ♪ yeah, wicked coffee, mista jim! julia, turn da frown de other way around! hey, dave, you're from minnesota, right? yes, i! da land of ten thousand lakes.

the gopher state! so in conclusion, things are pretty dismal... you know what this room needs? a smile. who want to come with i? [ jimmy cliff's "c'mon, get happy" plays ] ♪ you guys are three minutes late. [ caribbean accent ] don't be no cloud on a sunny day! [ caribbean accent ] yeah, chill, winston. sir? respect boss man! [ laughter ] [ male announcer ] that's the power of german engineering. ♪ ♪ "love" a collection by prabal gurung, exclusively at target. for a limited time.

you know what, while we're waiting why don't we play a game of hide and seek? right now? yeah go hide. go on buddy. one, two... [ son ] come and find me! three! [ son ] are you even looking for me? i am looking! [ male announcer ] bite-sized chicken's grown up. kfc bites. freshly hand-breaded big bites of premium breast meat, seasoned in the colonel's original recipe. try 10 bites with an 8 piece meal for $19.99. [ son ] dad? [ male announcer ] today tastes so good. [ humming ] [ babbling ] the cheerios bandit got you again? [ both laugh ] ♪ the one and only, cheerios he went to jared. the ballet slippers? i used to dance. hearts? it's called the red hot love bead... oh. ...i've said too much. [ female announcer ] celebrate life's unforgettable moments with pandora charms and bracelets.

at jared, the galleria of jewelry. otherworldly things. but there are some things i've never seen before. this ge jet engine can understand 5,000 data samples per second. which is good for business. because planes use less fuel, spend less time on the ground and more time in the air. suddenly, faraway places don't seem so...far away. ♪ ♪ every little thing gonna go my way ♪ [ female announcer ] we've added a touch of philadelphia cream cheese to our kraft natural shredded cheese so you can bring a creamier melt to any morning. ♪ for hollywood's biggest stars. who is it for? it's for becky. now, he designs for the star in your life. neil lane bridal. hand-crafted rings. at kay -- the number one jewelry store in america. ♪ every kiss begins with kay

coming up, the steven tyler app? to help celebrities protect their identity. also, trying our hand at a very popular olympic sport. first a look at these messages and your local news and weather. >> i've been watching the videos all morning. to keep your underwear clean. this is another! ta-daa! try charmin ultra strong. it cleans so well and you can use up to four times less than the leading value brand. oh! there it is. thanks son. hey! [ female announcer ] charmin ultra strong has a duraclean texture that can help you get clean while still using less. and it's four times stronger versus the leading value brand. charmin ultra strong helps keep you and your underwear clean. we all go. why not enjoy the go with charmin ultra strong? ♪

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plus a 50% annual bonus. and everyone but her likes 50% more cash, but i have an idea. do you want a princess dress? yes. cupcakes? yes. do you want an etch-a-sketch? yes! do you want 50% more cash? no. you got talent. [ male announcer ] the capital one cash rewards card gives you 1% cash back on every purchase plus a 50% annual bonus on the cash you earn. it's the card for people who like more cash. what's in your wallet? i usually say that. so ditch the brown bag for something better. like our bacon ranch quesadillas or big mouth burger bites, served with soup or salad, and fries. starting at just 6 bucks, at chili's. one, for making my perfect cup of coffee. one for being the perfect neighbor. and one for no reason at all. ♪

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am sarah caldwell. here is kim dacey. >> we attacking an accident that shut down the right lane of the west side of the beltway. the accident as at security boulevard on the outer loop. on security itself, between forest park in gwynn oak, it remains shut down with the ongoing cleanup there. route 2, we have a crash to watch for. it is going to be closed on commerce street, pratt street,

into the stadium. additional quota cheaters on the roadways there. -- additional closures on the roadways there. 21 minutes all the way down to 95. slow on the inner and outer loops. starting to see delays on the northeast corner as you head to the beltway. tony, over tea and. >> we had a clipper storm go through last night. it did not produce much in the way of precipitation. we have cloud cover this morning but we don't expect any rain or snow. 33 at the airport, 29 in parkton. forecast for today, should be just fine for the big parade downtown. high temperatures will sneak into the low 40's. northwest winds at 10 to 15 miles per hour. wind chills in the 30's.

dry weather on wednesday going into the weekend, we expect coastal storm to develop on friday. it to clear on saturday and sunday.

8:00 now on this tuesday morning, february 5th, 2013. and a little bit of a chilly, blustery day on rockefeller plaza. we say hi to the fine folks who have stuck it out to say hello to us this morning. i'm savannah guthrie alongside matt lauer and al roker. we heard about the old body types, apple shapes, pear shapes for women. you can forget all those labels. we have new ones like lipstick shape. you can dress to impress no matter what your body type is on a budget. all right. the pros are in the house, inside right now, getting ready to talk about hot topics in the news, including that tweet from

senator john mccain that made a reference, some would say a joke, about the iranian president. we'll have more about that. of course, we continue our countdown to the winter olympics. we are going to be not strapping on any spandex. >> there we go. >> any chance to play that video. >> i sound like daffy duck. this morning we're going to get a lesson in curling, no spandex required. >> thank goodness for that. i don't know if you heard but matt and i are headed to chicago on friday for one of our field trips. send us your pictures, tell us what you love about the windy city. use #todaychicago. natalie is standing by with a look at all the headlines. good morning, natalie. >> good morning, matt, al and savannah. good morning, everyone. authorities are searching for possible explosives today in an underground bunker where a

school boy was held for seven d days. sheriff wally olson has described the child who has gone home now from the hospital. >> like a breath of fresh air. >> reporter: the kidnapper was also suspected of killing a school bus driver. officials say they used a camera to monitor activity in his bunker and moved in when they believed the boy was in imminent danger. japanese investigators say the battery that overheated on a boeing 787 dreamliner last month in japan showed evidence of the same chemical reaction that caused battery overheating on a dreamliner in boston. all 50 of the 787s in operation worldwide have been grounded. but on monday, boeing asked the faa for permission to resume test flights. passengers say a tour bus driver was shouting that his brakes had failed moments before the crash in southern california sunday that killed at least seven people and injured dozens. officials are focusing on safety records for the bus, which had been cited for 22 violations

over the past year. a renewed effort to protect our nation's diplomats overseas. the senate has approved a $1.1 billion bill that would beef up security at u.s. embassies around the world, transferring funds no longer needed in iraq. the bill comes in the wake of the deadly terrorist attack in the u.s. consulate in benghazi, libya, last fall. it now heads to the house for approval. now for a look at what is trending today, our quick roundup of what has you talking online. the 2013 oscar nominees posed for a star-studded class photo at the pre-event monday. best actress nominee quvenzhane wallis had a seat right next to bradley cooper. she also posed for a couple of shots. jesse heiman is getting lots of love on twitter from young ladies who say they're jealous

of refaeli. some guys are even tweeting that jesse was the real winner of the super bowl and baltimore quarterback joe flacco should give up his mvp honors to heiman. and meanwhile he is described as sweet, friendly and, yes, ladies, single. will ferrell locked lips in this super bowl ad for old milwaukee beer that most people probably didn't see because it only aired in three cities. that's still better, though, than the ad he did last year, which only aired in north pl platte, nebraska. yeah, that is a kiss all right. 8:04 right now. let's go back outside to al for a check of your weather. >> pucker up. from highland schools. where is highland school? >> in queens. >> good to see you. let's check your weather, what's going on. we'll show you our pick city of

the day which happens to be amarill amarillo, texas. sunny, cool, 62 degrees. it is chilly from the great lakes all the way into the new england area and the northern plains. 80s in southern texas, 70s in the southwest and southern florida as well. snow showers around the great lakes. another storm system moving into the pacific northwest. look for fog from san diego into los angeles, also southern texas as well. gorgeous day in miami today. partly sunny and 75. your five kids are at home watching? >> yes, they are. >> who are you saying hi to? >> thanks for watching. >> good morning.ry t we expect some cloud cover today. it will be mostly dry

>> and this is perfect weather, getting you ready for chicago. >> i know, exactly. brr. get those hand warmers out, feet warmers and everything warmers. thank you, al. "today's" professionals weigh in on the day's hot topics and then a real-life central perk for fans of "friends" and coffee. and then star katharine mcphee, live in our studio after these messages. this day calls you.

to fight chronic osteoarthritis pain. to fight chronic low back pain. to take action. to take the next step. today, you will know you did something for your pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is a pain reliever fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. anti-depressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not for children under 18. people taking maois, linezolid or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta.

taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. take the next step. talk to your doctor. cymbalta can help. you know what, while we're waiting why don't we play a game of hide and seek? right now? yeah go hide. go on buddy. one, two... [ son ] come and find me! three! [ son ] are you even looking for me? i am looking! [ male announcer ] bite-sized chicken's grown up. kfc bites. freshly hand-breaded big bites of premium breast meat, seasoned in the colonel's original recipe. try 10 bites with an 8 piece meal

for $19.99. [ son ] dad? [ male announcer ] today tastes so good. with just a few ingredients. simple, wholesome goodness. kellogg's. start simple, start right. a new installment of "today's" professionals. star jones, donny deutsch and dr. nancy snyderman are here to tackle the hot topics of the day. recently the iranian president, mahmoud ahmadinejad said he would like to go into space. that prompted a tweet from our own senator john mccain. so ahmadinejad wants to be the first iranian in space. wasn't he just there last week?

what he was referring to is that last week iranians managed to send a monkey into space. was this a legitimate joke, a joke that went too far? is it racist? >> i'll jump right in. i thought that the senator diminished himself by even making a joke like that. i know that we should lighten up in some ways, but the fact that we have to sit here and defend, if you will, the president of iran, with everything he has said and done to our country because mccain made a politically, incorrect stupid comment? >> i'm not defending ahmadinejad. >> he basically wants to annihilate israel, denies that the holocaust existed. we can call him anything we want. >> not on twitter. >> i can call him anything i want. >> he is a united states senator. have some decorum. don't be an old, cranky dude on

twitter. >> free speech issue and so therefore you would defend him? >> i don't want to defend him at all. i don't even like talking about him. >> when some people got up in arms over the tweet, senator mccain responded with another tweet, regarding iran's space tweet, lighten up, folks. can't everyone take a jake? republican congressman from michigan, of syrian-palestinian descent tweeted maybe you should wisen up and not make racist jokes. >> forget political correctness. we're worry ied to name a guy tt wants to annihilate israel? i'm sorry. >> do we really think that john mccain is on twitter or is this one of his aides? >> is it possible that people will not take this as a slam as this one individual, the president of iran, but the culture of iranians in general.

>> it's much ado about nothing. >> that's why the united states representative made the comment that he did. why even give somebody the opportunity to criticize you as racist by make a stupid comment. >> i can't believe you're not defending this in the first amendment. >> have you ever fired a gun? yes, in fact at camp david we do skeet shooting all the time. some people didn't believe him. they thought he was making it up. on the eve to this trip to minnesota, jay carney at the white house tweeted this photo, see if we can put it up right now, of the president doing just that, skeet shooting up at camp david. image guy, was this a smart photo to release? what's this all about? >> absolutely. by the way, we could put up 1,000 what i call contrived photos of him drinking beer and he doesn't drink beer. i don't have a problem with it. whether he skeet shooted once or 1,000 times, to come out and say i'm not trying to take everybody's guns away. this is what we do in business.

>> looks like a manly man. >> he wants to send out a signal. i am not anti-gun guy. >> look at the picture. look at the rifle. it is the most contrived thing. no, no, i understand. i could care less. >> in mom jeans, i just can't -- >> is that photo about i told the truth and the president doesn't lie or is that photo about what donny said, looking out to the people who are worried about second amendment issues, saying i'm not a guy who wants to take the guns away? >> it's more i'm more like you than you think i am because i don't want to take your gun as way. >> character matters when it comes to obama. for the president to show you, no, i don't lie. >> birth certificate a year or so ago shall this is the next step, that now the president always has to back up his words with proof? >> yes. >> that's why i said he shouldn't release any thing. >> it was a bigger issue about i'm not taking your guns away.

>> for the control room i'm skipping to the last one. a home in hawaii and now has put his name and energy behind a new law called the steven tyler act, being considered in the legislature there. it would allow people, mostly celebrity celebrities, to file civil suits against paparazzi to take photos of them in areas where they, quote, might otherwise expect privacy. >> like the beach. >> no. >> telephoto lens and shoots through the window of your home, that would then allow the celebrity to file a civil suit. legally speaking, is this a good idea or slippery slope? >> it is a slippery slope. although i would cheer for it, it's not the kind of thing that constitutionally is going to stand up. the reasonable expectation of privacy on a beach would not apply. but if you go to the trouble of putting a shrubbery up around your house, that's what the argument is. i don't know if it will go through.

>> i have a big issue with the boo hoo celebrities. they sign a deal -- i don't want to say with the devil. they basically use the press to their advantage when they want to and complain when it's invasive. >> we're talking in your backyard. >> in your living room, in your home, and a guy is on a boat out in the water using a telephoto lens to shoot through your window? >> a lot of celebrities will use their homes, do ten-page spreads. it cuts both ways. is it wrong? yes. but deal with it. >> when you invite somebody in to your home and tell them good-bye, they should leave. if you go to the trouble of moving to an island and building a moat around it, for goodness sake -- >> you're cutting very close to donny's life here. >> the moat and the island, i'm sorry. >> i think even -- i recognize that once you leave your home and you're on public property, all bets are off. but i get your deal with the devil sort of. but to think that you're in maui and you can't even walk on the beach without someone being in your face.

>> boohoo. boohoo. get over it. get over it. >> geez, donny, you have no heart. >> no, he just has enough money to be private. >> thank you, guys. up next, the "friends" super fan who built an exact replica of the central perk. where? we'll tell you, after this. it's the first diamond ever independently certified to be visibly brighter. it's perfect. it even fits. that's because... ♪ ...i already had it sized. will you marry me? [ female announcer ] the visibly brighter leo diamond, hand-crafted by the master diamond artisans at leo schachter. at kay, the number-one jewelry store in america. yes. ♪ every kiss begins with kay

a big treehouse or a small treehouse? if it's big enough, you can have a disco. oh yeah. [ male announcer ] it's not complicated. bigger is better. and at&t has the nation's largest 4g network. ♪ looks like your bags didn't make it. we'll send them to your hotel. [ sad music playing ] this is fun. [ sad music continues ] [ knock on door ] your bags, sir. thanks. both: finally! one taste, and you'll understand. enjoy delicious dunkin' donuts coffee anytime. best vacation ever! pick some up where you buy groceries. america runs on dunkin'.

with just a few ingredients. simple, wholesome goodness. kellogg's. start simple, start right. that i hit on something in life that i just love to do every single day. ♪ it's the way i've made my living for over 30 years. ♪ every time we leave the dock, it's an adventure. the one thing people might not realize when they're going into mcdonald's and they order the filet-o-fish sandwich... this is wild fish. this is where the alaskan pollock starts. it's just that simple. it's been nearly 20 years since rachel, ross, monica,

chandl chandler, joey and phoebe became everyone's "friends." now you can hang out at a replica of central perk. >> reporter: good morning from what i suspect is a rather familiar-looking coffee shop but this central perk is in downtown beijing. it's almost a decade since the last original episode of one of the most popular sitcoms of all time aired here on nbc. "friends" lives on in the heart of the chinese capital where a central perk has been built, goes by the name of gunther, cafe owner of the show. >> i'm crazy about "friends". >> reporter: he has watched all 236 episodes several times, looped on a large screen where his customers fight for a seat on that infamous couch.

all the servers go by the name of rachel. menu is inspired by the show. the infamous stolen cheesecake scene. >> if you eat your -- >> reporter: from season seven is a particular inspiration. >> a lot of people know this from "friends" in china. >> reporter: merely teenagers when the season ended but they're still attracted by the carefree friendship lifestyle. >> we admire their life. we want to be like one of the characters in the show. >> it's about the caring between friends. >> reporter: it's an appealing contrast to the often stressful and competitive world facing young chinese. there have even been five marriage proposals in beijing's central perk, inspired by another famous scene.

>> i really cried at that moment. >> reporter: other see "friends" as a tool for learning colloquial english. >> i like chandler. >> reporter: and most memorable scene. >> i think it's so touching. >> reporter: for china's gunther it's not so much a business but what he call a passion and a dream. >> there you go. enjoy. >> reporter: this place has proved to be so popular that gunther has opened a second central perk in shanghai. it may have been almost a decade since the last show but his passion is still shared by a legion of young chinese. i have to tell you guys, the cheesecake is great. >> thanks for trying for all of us, ian. we appreciate tiit. i an williams in beijing. savannah? new ways to think about your body type to make your next

shopping trip successful. "the wow factor: inside secrets for every body and budget." good morning. >> good morning. >> we're used to the old ways to describe it, pear shape, apple shape. you're giving new whims cal nic names to the body shape? >> yes. i want women to feel good about themselves and recognize shapes as fun and positive. who wants to be an apple or pear? you want to be a nice, fun shape. it doesn't matter whether you're a size 2 or 20. >> sunglasses shape. this is the jessica rabbit look? >> balanced curves. like a classic hourglass silhouette. sophia, kim epitomize this. but you can look top heavy. a great v neck is great for that shape. >> the fragrance bottle.

>> being smaller on top and bigger on the bottom half. a couple of things that you really have essentials in your wardrobe. beyonce, she's a perfect example of the fragrance bottle shape. it's really about making sure that you -- >> wider here, tinier here. >> here is what you want to look for, bright colored scarf. the reason it works so well, it draws all the attention to the top half of the body and light, bright color, drawing attention up toward the top half. >> boot cut jean? >> no fading, no tapering. and little flare out. that helps to balance the heavier bottom half. go for some kind of top that helps to broaden the shoulder line as well. looking for darker on the bottom, light on the top. >> our next shape is lipstick shape. you say you're so skinny. >> this is a problem so many women have.

envious about this shape. it can be very hard to dress. we're trying to create the illusion of curves where there aren't any. think about ruffles, anything with a little curve on it, ruffles, frill on it. those will help create curves in bikinis. when you go for a dress, look for nice looifb lines that help to create the illusionative curve. piping, seaming, anything like that will help to create a curvaceous shape if you don't have one. octavia spencer, cocktail ring shape. little bit of ruc hichlt ng across the tummy. looking to downplay the tummy area. things like this are your best friends.

>> you like a chunkier heel. >> if you have more of a -- less of a curvaceous waist, you want to go with thicker heels to help balance it out. >> heart pendant figure. >> when you're bigger on top and smaller on the bottom half. this is when you're slightly bigger on top. the trick for this one is balancing out the bottom half with a little flare on the bottom half. you want to add a little bit of flaer on the bottom half that creates an hourglass figure. another star who has the wow factor, actress katharine mcphee after your local news.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> let's get a final check of the morning commute with the kim dacey. >> a couple of situations to be aware of on the roads. crash on northbound 95 between white marsh boulevard and mountain road. security boulevard also remains closed between forest park and went out with the bad crashed there. in towson, that crashed there. parade closures are going to start at 10:30 downtown commerce

street, pratt, howard street, and to the stadium. additional closures around at area. it will take you 24 minutes all the way to 95. outer loop is slowing in that area. 95 in the area of white marsh, southbound traffic is slowing down as you approach the belt line. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> we have a little clipper storm last night. it did not do much. it produced a little dusting in some neighborhoods. we have cloud cover. we don't expect precipitation during the day, but you will see cloud cover. i will call it variable clouds or a mixture of clouds and sunshine. high temperatures will climb into the low 40's. going into the weekend, dry weather on thursday and friday.

chance for rain or snow. it looks like it will dry out on saturday. and. >> another update at 8:56.

>> it's 8:30 now on a tuesday morning, 5th day of february, 2012. a little breezy and snowy and cold out here, but enough of the whining. we're having a good time. and those people have been out here a lot longer than we v i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie, al roker and natalie morales.

nbc's hit show "smash" airs tonight, what we can expect from this season from its star katharine mcphee, who is warm and toasty inside our studio right now. and all our favorite comfort foods without all the calories. >> they've all lost a lot of weight. >> a lot of weight. we'll head over to the rink and get a lesson in -- >> oh! >> -- i'm sorry, curling. we'll be sweeping with brooms. >> i want to use one of those dyson vacuums. >> savannah has been watching the tutorials. >> i know. >> we have the advantage. >> okay. also coming up, tiffani thiessen, remember her, the star of "saved by the bell" and also "beverly hills 90210" currently now on the usa networks "white collar." she'll be helping us out in the

9:00 hour. and we've got a '90s trivia quiz with her as well. >> mr. roker, what about a check of the weather? >> chilly side, snowy side as well. clippers moving through. one today affects the northeast and new england. another one through the great lakes tonight into tomorrow. look for rain in the pacific northwest, showers down in the southern gulf. for tomorrow, heavier rain down through the lower gulf into texas, rain in the pacific northwest with mountain snows. few snow showers in the northeast and new england. loen >> good morning. a clipper storm when through last night. there could be a leftover snow flurries this

>> check that weather any time you need it. go to weather channel on cable or weather.com online. >> okay, mr. roker. inside, katharine mcphee, the star of "smash." we'll talk about season number two. she'll do that with savannah. but firsh

back now at 8:35 with a sneak peek of nbc's hit show "smash." katharine mcphee place an actress who lands the role of marilyn monroe. ♪ memories but they've all come until we're gone so give me a kiss and moving

on ♪ >> hey, marilyn. >> hey. >> katharine mcphee, good morning to you. >> morning to you, too. >> i want to talk about "smash" in a moment. i know you were at the super bowl. 49ers fan. >> 49ers didn't make it. but it was a blast. >> were you on the side with power or without power? >> if you were in dome it didn't feel like you lost complete power but apparently if you were outside, like in the bathrooms or lobby, it was completely pitch black. tha thankfully, i was watching the game. >> made for some excitement for sure. let's talk about "smash." your character is playing somebody who is getting her first big break in the industry. in some ways life imitates art. we've known you as a singer but also an actress. >> it's amazing. i had such a great time the first season. that really was karen's first -- her story in the first season was all about her overcoming

being green and not so much naive, but more green. and this season, season two, it's really exciting to kind of see her take some initiative. and she's now marilyn and she's going to hopefully be going to broadway and she's finding another opportunity to start another show on the side. in hollywood -- or in business, not hollywood but broadway, too, you have to keep your options open. nothing is guaranteed. >> have a few irons in the fire. >> that's kairp's focus in season two, keeping things going. >> was it a confidence boost to have that first season under your belt? >> i think so. season two is a totally different experience than season one. i think season one i was so focused on knowing my lines, being as good as i possibly can be. that's always a focus no matter what you do, but in season two, you think about different things like, okay, let's play with my hair a little bit more. let's try this costume or -- you know, your mind has a little bit more space for other things

because you do feel a little more confident. i'm excited. >> you have jennifer hudson returning. >> yeah. >> extended guest appearance. is it fun to work with her? >> it was a blast to work with her. she is super professional and was just so dedicated to do a great job and i really respected that. >> you got the "american idol" bond with her. >> we do. we didn't really talk about that. i wanted to kind of give her her space. i didn't want to bombard her with questions and things. she's lovely and she's amazing, as you can see. >> in the show, the broadway musical is actually headed to broadway. so no more drama, right? everything is fine? >> no more drama. when i say no more drama, i mean lots of drama. >> we will see tonight. katharine mcphee, thank you so much. the two-hour season of "smash" airs tonight 9:00, 8:00 central time right here on nbc. and katharine is going to stick around and talk with kathie lee

and hoda a little later on. public observation deck just op opened at the shard, london's highest building. ben fogle joins us there. >> reporter: it's just been joined by this a newer, taller, glassier version, new tower of london, the shard. it's ever changing canvas. you blink and a new building appears. a lot of people look at this and go it's not finished. >> it does tend to look a little unfinished. none the worse for that, it's marvelously visible from all over london. >> reporter: it looks pretty striking from this distance. should we have a look at it from the closer up? >> can't wait. >> reporter: let's go. shall we go up? >> sounds like a good idea. let's go. >> reporter: we're heading to the viewing platform 800 feet above london.

>> thank you very much. that's fantastic. >> reporter: what i find amazing, i have lived in london all my life. i've never seen it from this perspective. we've got a 365 view. >> i know. >> famous gerkin i recognize. >> remarkable view of the tower of london, isn't it? >> reporter: in the distance i can see the olympic sites. we have this brand new building, state-of-the art and we've got some of the oldist buildings. >> yes. it's exciting, isn't it? >> reporter: canary walk. right to the very edge of the city. do you like this building? >> i absolutely love it. i think it's brave. i think it's very well tailored, very well considered. it's exciting. >> reporter: it certainly stands out. >> it seems to be a universal ambition of mankind to want to build high. >> reporter: now he either has the best or the worst job,

depending on whether you're scared of heights. we can now head up to the open air section. i have to say loving adventure, i loathe parachutes. it's cold up here. i can feel the wind. this is what is nicknamed the shard, the top. >> london at night. changing and evolving for thousands of years. the shard not only adds to the skyline but it gives off a whole new perspective of this beautiful city. well, matt, i can tell you, the views really are quite spectacular. it's quite romantic up there. valentine's day soon, i'll be taking my wife. got your ticket? >> sounds like a good idea. ben fogle in london.

thank u very much. up next, your favorite comfort foods but at only 350 calories or less. this is "today" on nbc.

this morning in "today's" kitchen, what's for dinner? we're making your favorite comfort foods a lot lighter. in his new book "from mama's table to mine," bobby deen transforms his mother's classics into leaner versions. when your mom taught you these comfort food dishes, she gave you the high octane version. >> yeah. really traditional comfort foods, lot of creams, lot of butter. we fry a lot of things. >> were you always a bit of a renegade? when you looked at the way your family cooked and ate, did it always kind of bother you? >> no. i'm 42 now. at 30 i realized that i needed

to get back in the gym and i wanted to change the way that i looked and felt. when i began to embrace exercise, it changed the way that i looked at food. it sort of changed my relationship with food. >> let's take a look at the classic recipes you now make without a lot of calories, sodium and salt. >> we do a lot of one-pot dishes in the south. we've lightened this up by using a two-pound turkey breast. it's boneless, skinless, white meat. we're using low sodium chicken broth. something interesting about low sodium chicken broth. half a cup of this has 16 calories and zero grams of fat. what i've done in this book with most recipes is find the major culprits and either dial them back or replace them with earthy, fresh flavors. >> we braise the turkey first. >> turkey is out. hit it on all sides, got it nice and dark. after that go in goes our onion.

>> using the drippings from the turkey. >> boneless, skinless, it's really lean. >> little fat in there. >> that's the reason for the chicken broth and orange juice. get the liquid. three minutes with these onios.s we're not going to do that in real time actually, but to that we'll add our chicken broth. pour that in if you will, orange juice. we've got thyme. but you could use sage, your main flavor. you could use thyme or sage, that's rosemary. add to it our garlic. we may have done this in the wrong order but it will all come together. >> that's okay. >> to that add butternut squash. cook it for 35, 40 minutes until the butternut squash is nice and soft. it will end up looking like this. i'm going to ask you to add our cornstarch and mix a little slurry. >> we're not making gravy. >> no. >> but just a slurry here.

>> lot of fat, calories and sodium in that gravy. it will be nice and light. you can feel better about eating this every day. and then right over our turkey, butternut squash. >> smells fantastic. >> i want you to try it. >> that now a total of how many calories? >> 350 calories per serving, or less, on all these recipes. we lost 1,000 calories from the original. >> a lighter take on spinach and artichoke dip. how did you get rid of the calories and fat there? >> using low fat mayonnaise, i use a lot of greek yogurt. fresh pita chips you can make at home. red velvet cake. the secret here is neufachel cheese. in america we do it with milk and heavy cream. french do it with milk only so it's naturally lighter.

>> bobby deen, thank you. the book again is "from ma am's table to mine." we're learning the sport of curling live on rockefeller rink. but first this is .

>> announcer: "today's" one year to sochi is brought to you by mcdonald's. i'm lovin' it.

and we are back with more of our countdown to "today" in sochi with the liolympic games just 12 months away, we have decided to come over to the rockefeller center rink and try the age-old sport of curling. joining us now, 2014 hopefuls. three of you were bronze medalists in curling, the only u.s. olympic team to ever get a medal in curling. how do you like your chances for next year? go good? >> yeah, pretty good. >> we're getting ready. we're off to our best season so far. we're ready for it. >> you want to give us a little demonstration. we're going to be sweeping for you guys? >> yep. >> it requires a lot of skill and strategy, right? >> so for the sweepers, what's

the strategy? >> basically just get within a couple of feet of the rock and the purpose of sweeping is to make it go furtherer and a little bit straighter. >> you're kind of melt iing the top layer of the ice, right is this. >> polishing. >> polishing the ice. >> do you think that we can curl? >> absolutely. >> we're going to break up into teams, girls versus guy. >> here we go. >> little competition. >> a vacuum, is that going to help me in this? >> you're way ahead. >> his nickname is dyson. >> where are we going? >> we've got pete and ryan with us and you have sean and joe with you guys. >> okay. >> one on each side. >> yep. >> not to bump each other. just move it back and forth.

>> move it sideways or -- >> we have to kick the rock off. >> let me get out of the way. >> stand over here a little bit so he can get going. >> kind of see me. >> are we doing this competitively here? >> stand on this side. >> okay. >> i have to go on this side. go ahead. we're ready. >> wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. can we get a do over? >> you knock over the bowling pin. >> that was like first try. >> no, you've been disqualified. >> we get a mulligan, matt.

>> one more. >> give them one more. >> okay. so careful. >> good job. good job. >> excellent. >> okay, guthrie, pretty good. >> start down -- he needs a little -- okay. here we go. >> come on over here. come on over here. >> little more. one more. we get another one. we get another one. >> mulligan. >> that's the problem. we're going to give you a little

space here. >> 30 seconds. >> guys, 30 seconds. >> make it happen. >> i like it. i like it. >> whoa! >> who wins? >> we did. we did. >> we're back after your local news and weather.

>> this is a wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am sarah caldwell. five baltimore city firefighters are recovering at shock trauma this morning, injured while battling a four-alarm blaze. still no word this morning on a

possible cause. back in a minute with a check on back in a minute with a check on today's forecast.

>> we will see cloud cover during the day but we do not expect precipitation. average high temperature is 43. we should be in that neighborhood this afternoon. >> back with another weather update at 9:25.